Civilian

In contemporary international humanitarian law or law of war, civilians are people who are not members of any armed force to the conflict. It is a war crime under the law of armed conflict to deliberately target civilians in military attacks, along with numerous other considerations to minimize civilian casualties during times of war. Civilians engaging in hostilities are considered unlawful combatants, and lose their protection from attack. Under the law of armed conflict, civilians may not be targeted by virtue of their status as persons not taking up arms against an enemy. Civilians who are not directly participating in hostilities are a type of non-combatant protected under the law of war including in international humanitarian law (IHL) treaties and conventions, as well as customary international law. A civilian is slightly different from a non-combatant, because some non-combatants are not civilians (for example, military chaplains, or military personnel who are serving with a neutral country). Civilians in the territories of a party to an armed conflict are entitled to certain privileges under the customary laws of war and international treaties such as Geneva Convention IV. The privileges that they enjoy under international law depend on whether the conflict is a civil war or an international one.